


one who has everything, like aphrodite

by thewalrus_said



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 11:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13950861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewalrus_said/pseuds/thewalrus_said
Summary: Chance kissed her, one strong hand spreading out across her waist, warm and possessive in a way that made Mary Anne tingle and press closer. “You’re adjusting to a lot lately, Miss Mary Anne,” Chance murmured.“I may need some practice with a few things,” Mary Anne murmured back. She kissed Chance again and picked up the knife, nudging Chance out of the way with her hip. “Now shift. One thing I absolutely will not adjust to is the horror you’re making of these vegetables. I’ll take over here, you bring my bags into our bedroom.”





	one who has everything, like aphrodite

**Author's Note:**

> Because grad school is terrible and wild west wives are MUCH better.

Mary Anne’s luggage appeared at the end of her first month with Chance, along with a sheepish-looking Beau, scratching the back of his neck and looking anywhere but at her. “Hello, Mary Anne,” he said, after a few moments of quiet.

“Hello, Beau.” Mary Anne brushed her hands off on her apron and stood. Chance didn’t have much in the way of dresses, and it would be some time before Mary Anne adjusted to wearing pants, so in the meantime she was appropriating all Chance’s kitchen aprons as skirts. Chance didn’t seem to mind, and the aprons _did_ have lovely deep pockets. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“Woulda come sooner, only, well...” Beau trailed off, pointing at his head.

Mary Anne winced. “Ah. I _am_ sorry about that, Beau, I didn’t mean to do any real damage.”

He rallied and shrugged. “Aw, don’t worry about it, Mary Anne. I’m all healed up now anyway, and, well, I thought you’d probably be wanting these.” He gestured to his horse. “I’ll just get them down for you - or, not,” he amended, looking at Billy and Susie and little Charles, who had swarmed the horse almost as soon as he was off it, and were tugging the last of the bags off the poor beast’s back.

“Thank you, children, just run along and put those anywhere inside.” Mary Anne ruffled Billy’s hair as he passed, beaming as he ducked away and stuck out his tongue at her.

“Good kids,” Beau offered.

“They’re darlings, all of them.” Mary Anne turned back to him. “Thank you for bringing my things, Beau. I _was_ starting to feel the lack of variety in my wardrobe.”

He ducked his head and blushed. “No thanks needed. It’s my duty as sheriff to make sure everyone has their things, after all.”

“Quite right.” Out of the corner of Mary Anne’s eye, she saw Chance watching from the kitchen window. “Oh! Since you’re here, I imagine you’ll be wanting this back.” Mary Anne slid the engagement ring off her left finger and held it out to Beau.

“Oh! You sure, Mary Anne?” Beau blushed. “I - I mean, I know there’s no wedding anymore, but I don’t mind if you want to keep it. Got it for you, and all.”

Mary Anne shook her head. “If I kept it we’d most likely wind up selling it for food in the winter, and it’s too nice a ring for that. Go on, then.”

Beau took it after another moment’s hesitation. “Guess that’s that, then. So long, Mary Anne.”

“So long, Beau.” She waited until he remounted his horse and set off, turning to tip his hat at her, before she went back inside. “Beau’s brought my clothes and things,” she said to Chance, who set down the knife she was using to commit atrocities on a tomato. “They were still on the train when you carried me off, you bandit.”

Chance grinned. “It’s what we do, ma’am. Did I see you gave him the ring back?”

Mary Anne nodded. “No call for it now, after all. My hand feels odd without it, but I’ll adjust.”

Chance kissed her, one strong hand spreading out across her waist, warm and possessive in a way that made Mary Anne tingle and press closer. “You’re adjusting to a lot lately, Miss Mary Anne,” Chance murmured.

“I may need some practice with a few things,” Mary Anne murmured back. She kissed Chance again and picked up the knife, nudging Chance out of the way with her hip. “Now shift. One thing I absolutely will _not_ adjust to is the horror you’re making of these vegetables. I’ll take over here, you bring my bags into our bedroom.”

Chance mimed tipping her hat at Mary Anne. “Yes, ma’am.”

\--

“Are the children all settled?” Mary Anne asked, putting the last pot out to dry and sinking down at the kitchen table. “I thought they’d never quiet down. You would think they’d never seen snow before, the way they’ve been carrying on all day!”

Chance shut the door behind her and sat as well. “They’re not all asleep, but they’re in bed, and I got them to swear up and down that they’d at least be quiet about it if they can’t sleep.”

Mary Anne laughed. “How on earth did you manage that?”

“Told ‘em I had a surprise planned for you, and that we’d wake them up with a handful of snow down their shirts if they ruined it.”

Mary Anne sat up straighter, smiling as she saw Chance’s blush bloom across her cheeks. “A surprise? For me? Why Chance, you shouldn’t have.”

“Oh, I do hope that’s not true, Miss Mary Anne, otherwise I’ve been to a whole lotta bother over nothin’.” Chance rubbed a hand over her face. “Now I got a little speech planned, and I’m real nervous over it, so you might need to be patient.” Mary Anne pinched her lips shut with her fingers and folded her hands in her lap. Chance laughed. “Now, we’re poor as church mice out here, Miss Mary Anne, as you know, and so I’ve had a bit of a debate these past couple months. I figured, you deserve the nicest things there are, and I can’t give you that without takin’ from others, and we _are_ outlaws, after all. But then I thought you might be sore with me if I went out and stole for this, seein’ as it ain’t strictly _necessary,_ not like food or clothes _._ So I had to make a choice, and I made one, but if you’d rather have somethin’ as pretty as you are, just say the word and I’ll make it happen.” Chance reached into her pocket and drew something out, holding it over the table.

Mary Anne gasped. It was a ring, wire and dyed leather twisted together so tightly she couldn’t tell where the ends were tucked together. She looked back up at Chance, who wasn’t blushing quite so strongly anymore. Instead, she wore that soft, confident smile Mary Anne loved. “These past six months have been real nice, Miss Mary Anne, and seein’ as you got a spare spot on your finger, and that real pretty wedding dress goin’ to waste...”

Mary Anne squeaked and made a grab for the ring. Chance pulled her hand back with a laugh. “Now, come on, you promised you’d be patient.” She picked up Mary Anne’s left hand and held it in her own. “I was wonderin’, Miss Mary Anne, if you might see your way to becomin’ my wife.”

“Yes!” Mary Anne blurted. “Yes, yes, yes, of _course_ I will, Chance.” Beaming, Chance slid the ring onto Mary Anne’s hand. “Oh, it’s _beautiful,_ and it fits perfectly!”

“Course it does. I made it, after all.” Chance gave a tug on her hand, and Mary Anne flew out of her seat and over to settle in Chance’s lap.

Mary Anne kissed her, sighing as Chance’s fingers reached up and undid the pins in her hair. “Mary Anne Sequoyah. I quite like the sound of that, don’t you?”

“I surely do, ma’am. I surely do.”


End file.
